The Argosy — page 208: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Village Blacksmith. Igl CHAPTER IX. MRS. CANTER ENTERTAINS AN UNWELCOME GUEST. “Tus is a queer world, Cook,” said Mary. “Tt isn’t the world, it is the folks who are in it; but what is the matter now?” said Cook. “What is the matter ? Why, master, to be sure; it is all his doing ; sending Miss Vera’s Captain off like this! And now he has dragged her out to dinner to-night, and she’d far rather have been at home.” * How do you know?” “Know ? Why, I dressed her, and beautiful she looked for all her deep mourning ; but she was that pale and her eyes that mournful, I ‘could not bear to see her ; and she never so much as looked at her- self in the glass.” “Poor young lady! I suppose she don’t care how she looks now ithere is no Captain to look at her,” said Cook, sympathetically. » “TI do feel for her, for I know how I should feel if my Jim was parted from me ; I almost hate master, that I do.” “More shame on you, then,” exclaimed Mark, who came in to ithe kitchen in time to hear this last remark. | “None of your impertinence, Mark, please; you have driven Janet foreman away from Woodford with your folly, but you don’t drive ne from the Rectory, I can tell you. I mean to stay and take care of Miss Vera, whether you tell tales of me—as you are always doing }—to the master or not,” said Mary, tossing her head. | “That is a queer business about Janet Foreman; I wonder you lon’t find out where she is gone, Mark ; you were crazy after her when she was here,” said Cook. | “Perhaps I know,” said Mark, sulkily ; but not all the flattery “lary condescended to bestow upon him, nor the hot supper of fried ‘ork and onions—his favourite dish—to which Cook treated him, tould induce him to say another syllable on the subject of Janet. The truth was all his inquiries had hitherto been in vain; no one ) Woodford but Reuben and Vera knew where Janet was, and euben was very reticent whenever Mark broached the subject. lark believed Janet was in service, but where he did not know, and = saw at present no chance of discovering; but the taunts of the aidservants annoyed him, so he took refuge in pretending to have und her out. Strange to say, it had not at present occurred to ‘7m to suspect she had gone to Mrs. Canter’s, but if once that idea tuck him, he would undoubtedly pursue his prey. | While Vera’s affairs and Janet’s disappearance were being discussed the Rectory kitchen, Mrs. Jamieson was entertaining Vera and her her and the curate of the parish at dinner. Mrs. Jamieson looked ‘ndsomer than ever in a black velvet dress, with her celebrated ~“umonds in her hair and on her neck, and she did her best to fas- } COMIC OOO <S) im